Implosion
by Luciiraptar
Summary: Their days of saving the galaxy are long over; this time the stakes are uncomfortably personal. A young quarian girl rebels against her family's love and a veteran turian tries to save her.


**A/N: So here's the first chapter of this. This is post-ME3, about twenty years. It features an OC (Ani) and POV will switch every other chapter, between her and Garrus. It'll feature a lot of old and new faces and I'll try to get the massive Mass Effect universe right, create something amazing with it. And please review after you've read. Rated for sexual content and extreme violence later.**

* * *

I hum my way through the house, listening to the soft hiss of air filters. They're unnecessary, but Tali insists on having them. They comfort her, she says. Like that silly environment suit she insists on wearing. I got out of mine three years ago, and I love the feeling of clothes. Especially silk. Humans have created so many lovely things.

Like books.

I stop my humming and walking (well, dancing, really) as I hear footsteps. "Really, Tali," I hear Garrus say, "do you need to provoke her like that?"

The laugh of my mother's cousin—although I call her aunt for simplicity—makes me smile. She has an infectious joy. Her happy makes other people happy. "If Jack doesn't want to be provoked, then she should stop being so amusing when I provoke her."

"You do realize that that's a terrible argument, dear?"

"You do realize that I'm your wife?"

"What… oh. Yes. So you are. Great argument, honey."

As soon as Tali steps in, I hug her, taking care with the lines of her armor. "Auntie," I greet warmly. "Hello, Tali."

"Ah. Hello, Ani." Her arms settle lightly around my shoulders. "What have you been doing?"

"Dancing. Reading. Considering finding a charming asari to run away with." I kiss the side of her helmet, then lean up to kiss Garrus on his unscarred mandible. "You know, the usual."

Then a small form darts in behind them, and I grab the girl and swing her up into my arms. "And there she is!" I crow, swinging the small asari girl around. "Hello, Ava'Zorah nar Rannoch. And how are you today?" I settle the child on my hip, hug her close.

"Good," she murmurs, her little arms wrapping around me. Precious child is approaching six—growing quickly. Her crest is beginning to form, and I've overheard Tali talking about biotic potential. "Can we have ice cream? And not the gross stuff that made my nose all gross?"

I poke her in the side. "I told you that the stuff with red on it is only for us, silly little child. Although why I've ever attempted to impose order on you, I don't know."

"Ani?"

"Hm?" I smile warmly at my aunt, still holding up my favorite cousin. When I see her stance, I let the little girl down. "Don't touch my books," I warn as she scurries off, and then I turn back to Tali. "What did I do now? I haven't even left all day."

"We got a message from Liara."

I sigh. I sent Liara a message a while ago, asking for advice on how to seduce women. I also asked her to keep it private.

"I see," I murmur. "And what did this message say?" Coy. Yes. That should work.

Tali sighs, crosses her arms. "Ani. Did you think, with all that you've been doing, that Liara would not tell me when you ask her about seduction?"

"Honey…" Garrus begins, but Tali cuts him off with a raised hand.

"Ani. We took you in because your mother and I were very close and she wanted me to take care of you… but you do have a father." She hugs me. "All I want is for you to be healthy, Ani. And that is something you currently are not. Okay?"

I don't answer, instead pulling out of her embrace. "Uncle Garrus," I say to the turian, "will you go check on my books for me? I have a few calls I need to make."

He sighs. "Of course, Ani." His hand rests heavily on my shoulder for a second, and then he heads into the other room. I ignore my aunt, heading up to my room and calling a friend.

"Hello," Miranda answers in that smooth voice of hers. "I'm assuming you wish to talk to Oriana. Unfortunately, she's had all of her communication devices confiscated."

"Even for emergencies?"

"Ani'Zorah. Am I to assume this emergency is one of cataclysmic proportions and the fate of the galaxy rests on you speaking to my sister at this very moment?"

I consider her words. "Something like that, yes."

Miranda laughs. "She was caught doing something she shouldn't have, Ani. You can either come over or wait two weeks. Either way, Oriana is in the middle of being grounded."

Oriana explained to me what that is, since it means a very different thing to quarians. "Come over. Yeah, just hop through twenty relays to have a chat." I sigh heavily. "Talk to you later, Miranda. Expect a call from Tali."

With that done, I try Kolyat. He's approaching his middle years now, but he's still fun.

"Hey," I greet. "How's the Citadel treating you, Kolyat?"

"Am I to assume you've done something wrong again?"

I sigh. "_Kolyat._"

"Ani, the only time you contact me is when you need something."

"That's not true!" I protest. "We chat all the time, Kolyat."

"Yes. And then you ask me for things. The Citadel is treating me well; now, what did you do?"

I sigh again. "Fine, whatever. There's this girl—"

"There usually is, with you."

"Kolyat. Shut up." I yank my bed out of the wall with my foot, flop down. "There's this girl I met at this geth club—"

"Geth have clubs?"

I hold back my annoyance. "It's just what they're called. The geth handle a lot of the construction, and some of them operate clubs. So, there's this girl I met at this geth club, Theresa—"

"That sounds human."

"Kolyat, I swear on the ashes of my ancestors and the soil of my homeworld, I will kill you if you interrupt me again."

He doesn't say anything.

I take a breath. "Yes. She's human, and gorgeous. We met at this club and she gave me some Hallex, and now my aunt is freaking out."

Kolyat sighs. "For good reason. Ani, being with a human is dangerous, not to mention the idiocy of doing drugs. Especially Hallex. But what do you want from me?"

"Some advice. On how to deal with my aunt."

"You're at a disadvantage here, Ani. No matter what you try to use to defend yourself, you're in the wrong here, and you know it. So I think you should beg for mercy at this point. She is, after all, your caretaker."

I toy with my locket. "I'm approaching legal maturity. I could claim I'm going on my Pilgrimage and live on the Citadel. I have credits stored up, enough to live by for a little while."

"But you won't, because of Avaline."

I smile at the thought of the girl. Legally, she's Ava'Zorah nar Rannoch (since she's Tali's daughter), but to most people she's Avaline Vakarian. And she dismantles anything she can get her hands on.

Her mother's daughter.

"You're right," I admit. "I couldn't leave Ava." I grab my ongoing project, a broken geth submachine gun, and pop open the power supply to look at it. "Hey, what do you know about geth weapons?"

"Nothing. Why don't you ask a geth?"

"A quarian walks into a building and asks a geth, How do you repair one of your weapons to perfect functioning order?"

"I see your point. Doesn't your aunt have a lot of experience with geth weapons?"

I snort. "Remember that conversation we were having a short time ago? Besides, I already asked her. Shepard recovered some geth weapons once, but Tali never had time to look at them with all the adventures they were having."

"Why do you need a geth weapon, anyways?"

I shrug, even though he can't see it. "I don't. But I found one and I want to fix it."

"Well, I've got some contacts now. I'm working with C-Sec, you know, as one of their undercover agents. If you want me to, I can ask around for designs."

"No, thank you. I think I'd rather figure this one out on my own. Talk to you later, Krios."

"Be well and safe, Ani."

With that done, I focus on the gun. I won't go and beg mercy from my aunt; I know what I did was wrong, but it felt too good.

Nothing in the power supply. I check the heat-venting, thinking that maybe something went wrong there, but that seems to be okay.

"Ani?"

I turn and smile at Ava. "Hello, child. What do you need?"

"Mommy and daddy are having boring talks." She crawls into my lap. "What're you doin' in here?"

"Nothing, really, Ava." I turn back to my gun, holding her in my lap. "Just working."

She bites her lip. "Can I look at it?"

I nod, stroking her crest gently. "Sure. Just be really careful, Ava. It's dangerous."

She nods sagely, then grabs it and gently pries open the firing mechanism. "There," she says, pointing at something. "Rael'Casra had one of these. He's a teacher," she explains when I'm confused. "He showed it to me. That part's wrong."

I look at what she's pointing to; it's a component of the accelerator I'd assumed was just produced differently by the geth. "Ava," I say quietly, "are normal parts compatible with geth weapons?" My excitement's building slowly but surely.

Ava thinks a moment. "I think so. They look the same, anyways." She hops off. "Do you want me to go grab that bit?"

"The entire component, please."

Ava grins mischievously and runs out.

A few minutes later, she arrives with a component larger than her hand. "I took it from daddy's rifle."

I pull the broken accelerator from the geth weapon, and then slot the new piece in the space. It's a snug fit, but it fits, and when I close the panel, the lights turn on and it beeps gently to indicate that it lacks a thermal clip.

I bite my lip hard to keep from screaming in joy, and then I turn to the beautiful, amazing girl that helped me fix it at last—and I sweep her up into a hug and squeeze. "Ava! Oh, you beautiful child, you gift from the ancestors!" I giggle happily and she giggles, too. "You are perfect and amazing and…" I squeeze her again. "You are the best cousin I could ever want."

She giggles. "Thanks, Ani. You're the best cousin, too."

* * *

I end up visiting a geth armory.

"I just want some new plates for it," I say tiredly. I've been trying to get some assistance for twenty minutes now, but they refuse to help me. "Please. Someone. Keelah."

"Creator Ani'Zorah. I will assist you."

I turn and then squeal, throwing my arms around Lucifer, the geth that helped me adapt my immune system. When he got his own mobile platform, he painted the head gold and violet. "When did you start working at an armory?"

"Twelve days ago. You say you found a geth weapon and wish to refurbish it."

I nod. "I was out walking the old battlefields—you know, like the Reaper base, the towers—and I found it. It was broken, so I decided to fix it, but I couldn't really figure out anything until—Lucifer, did you know that my little cousin is a genius? Anyways, yeah, now I just want it to look nice again. Then… I don't know. Aren't the geth constructing a museum?"

"Correct. An asari concept to honor the past. It will be ready in two hundred and twenty-three days. This piece could be considered a war relic in its current state. If I were to fully repair it, it would no longer be considered such."

I sigh. "Well… okay. Maybe I won't donate it. I'll put it in a place of honor so I don't forget all the lives, quarian and geth, that were given to bring peace to Rannoch. And when I'm old and living in my large house with my dozens of beautiful human girls working for me, I'll look at it and remember you, my savior."

Lucifer's optic narrows at me for a moment, his version of rolling his eyes (yet another useful human habit), and then he says, "You are very poetic, Creator Ani'Zorah. Two hundred credits."

I hand over the chit and the gun, and take the chit back after a moment. "Please wait twenty minutes, Ani." I smile at the warmth of the statement (despite the robotic voice) and settle into a chair with a book. The chairs are provided for the few organic customers who bring in old geth weapons to donate, either to the museum or the armory itself.

I don't look up when someone sits next to me, but I do when he clears his throat. I glance up into an unfamiliar batarian face.

"I work for Aria T'Loak," he says instead of a greeting. "You know who she is?"

I nod. "Boss-lady of Omega."

"She has a message for Vakarian. One that can't be sent directly to him." He presses a pad into my hands. "He has some enemies, and they don't track you. Which is their mistake."

I nod. "Okay. See you never, I guess," I mutter at his back as he leaves.

Shortly after, Lucifer appears with my gun again. "Creator Ani'Zorah. Another said that there was a batarian that sat near you. Are you harmed?"

I laugh. "It's okay. He worked for Aria T'Loak and gave me a message to give to Garrus. That's it. He didn't try to eat me or anything, I swear, Lucifer."

Lucifer's head-plates move slowly as his optic moves over my face, and then he offers the gun. "It is finished. The unit you inserted works, so I did not replace it. Have a good day, Ani."

I thank him by kissing the underside of his optic, and then I head outside and look at the data pad I was given. There's only one message on it:

_Vakarian. Heard some of the Blue Suns are going to try and get you again for 2185. Telling you because Shepard helped me get Omega back. Just watch your back._

I head home and call out, "Hey, Uncle Garrus." The turian appears. "Some batarian came and gave me this for you." I slap into his hands. "From Aria T'Loak. I'm going out."

He's too distracted with the pad to hear me exactly. "Yeah, okay," he mutters. "Don't be out too late, Ani."

With luck, I'll be out all night.

I change quickly into Theresa's favorite outfit: Long, sleek, and almost the exact same shade of violet as my skin. In the right lighting, it almost looks like I'm nude.

The lighting in Electric is exactly right.

I slip into the garment reverently. The sleeves are long, and expand near my wrists. It's tight against my breasts, and there's a strip cut out of the front running from just beneath my navel to the bottom of my breasts, giving just a hint of them. The neck dips low, giving another hint. The skirt flows down to mid-calf, just loose enough to move.

I head for Electric.

The town we live in is small, kilometers away from the megapolis that is the capital of Rannoch. So I can get to my favorite geth club in less than ten minutes.

When I step inside, the music is already buzzing through my veins, even without Hallex. Theresa's in the back, lazily kissing an asari woman, and she smiles happily when she sees me. I fall into her arms and murmur, "Can I have something special?"

"Are you going to pay me?"

"How do you want to be paid?" A finger travels lightly up and down her arm, and she smiles.

"However you want to pay me."

I kiss her, slowly and sensually, and then let her pull away and slip a pill between my lips. I swallow it and go back to kissing her. Soon, things will get bright and hot and fast and it'll all be wonderful.

It's barely minutes before I lose myself in the dark beat, let it pound my body, let it make me writhe and grind against Theresa and that asari girl. The world is slipping away in favor of this moment, two soft bodies against mine and softer lips on my neck. The feel of them is making me moan and all I can think about is getting them into bed.

I whisper to Theresa, "I need you. Keelah, I need you."

She lets out a husky laugh that sends lightning slithering along my body. "Very well, my little pet. Do you mind if I bring our friend along?"

The asari's hand slips to my front and I hiss, "Just fuck me, Theresa. I don't care if it's on the dance floor, just—"

"Come on, babe. I'll take care of you, Ani, just like I always do." She coaxes me off the dance floor with hot kisses, all the way into one of the private rooms. They're provided for people like Theresa, who don't go a single night without heading to bed with someone.

The dress falls in the doorway. I fall when my legs hit the bed, and then Theresa's arranging me how she wants me, spread into an X, all limbs tied securely to the bed. "Just like normal, babe." She kisses me, unzips her dress. "Any time you want to stop, just tell me."

My only response is to rock against her, trying desperately to get off. The heat is getting intense. If she doesn't do something, I'm going to explode.

I'm so hot I barely feel the immune booster, and I know she's injecting the same into herself, the only way we can do this.

Her hand on my knee is pure electricity.

It trails downwards, upwards, up my side, under my breasts, it's making it hard to think, and then I don't even feel her touch anymore—I'm feeling the feel of it, the pure sensual bliss of the soft ties holding me spread while her fingers touch my skin.

Her lips seek mine hungrily, asking a question with a kiss, and I gladly say yes by my eagerness.

Two fingers shove all the way into me, and I let out a long moan into her mouth. Making love with her under normal circumstances is amazing, but with chemical love in my system, this is better than any vid could make it look.

She lets go of my mouth to latch onto my nipple, those two fingers beginning to pump in and out of me, driving me higher and higher and higher and—

"Keelah," I gasp out as I orgasm, now humping blindly against her hand in a drug-fueled frenzy.

First—second—third—and suddenly I'm in her arms and she's kissing me and bringing me down gently, until my breath is coming evenly out against her lips. Then I murmur, "Do you want me to do you now?"

"Yes, please," Theresa murmurs, kissing me firmly before reclining against the pillows.

I'm not sure when the asari joins in, but I certainly don't protest.

* * *

When I wake up, Theresa's still asleep. I kiss her back to consciousness, then glance at the asari girl. She looks very young; fifty, maybe. "I'll see you tomorrow," I promise Theresa. "And I'll bring credits."

"Ani, you know you don't have to pay me at all." Her kiss eases me into her arms. "Your body is enough payment. And giving me your heart is enough to put me in your debt."

I smile. "Thank you." I press into her a bit, enjoying her gasp and little squirm. "But I'd like to pay you anyways, for the drugs." I nuzzle and kiss her. "The rest is just free extras."

"Thank you, Ani'Zorah." She smiles fondly. "For the extras. I think I'd like you, if I was, you know…"

"The type to like people." I kiss her forehead. "I don't think I'd love you as much if you were, Theresa."

She laughs. "Go home, my little quarian. I'm sure your aunt is wondering where you are."

I kiss her and grumble, "I don't want to."

"Tough." She pushes me away gently. "I won't get you if Tali chains you to your bed. It won't be as fun as when I do it."

I roll my eyes, but I know she's right, so I kiss her one last time and dress and head out. I take my time on the walk back, admiring Rannoch. I was little more than a baby when the homeworld was retaken, but I still lived on ships for a fair amount of my life. Some of us don't want to give up the ships too quickly. Those people are like Tali: Sentimental, comfortable in the old ways. Not bad, but it did teach me to appreciate my world.

When I arrive home, Tali is waiting outside, hidden behind a mask and tapping her foot impatiently. "Hurry inside," she snaps at me, and I obey. "Where were you?"

"Out."

"With that human woman? Or some stranger?"

I glance around. "Where's Ava?"

"Garrus and I sent her away. We're going to send you away, too—to the Citadel, where you're enrolled in a school that will hopefully put you on the right track."

"What?" With no warning? "Why?"

"Because things are going to be dangerous here, soon. And Garrus pointed out that you've been getting out of control. This isn't the first time you've been out all night, Ani. And it certainly isn't the first time you've come home reeking of…" She doesn't say what I reek of, instead making a disgusted noise.

"Say it, Auntie Tali. You've had this problem with me for a while, so say it."

Tali looks at me for a moment, then pulls off her mask, letting me see the painful expression of disappointment and love. "It's not a problem with you, Ani. It's a problem with the way you're living. This isn't good for you, little niece. And someday I'm not going to be here to tell you that."

"Tali…"

"Hush." She pulls me into her arms. "It's true, child." She squeezes me. "Go and pack your things, Ani. You won't be coming back for a while."

I nod and head upstairs, packing my gun before any of my clothes. I put on an environment suit, then head into my uncle's armory and check the rifles; there's a new part installed in one, shiny and probably fresh off the assembly line.

With that done, I head back to my aunt. "Done packing."

She nods slowly. "I've arranged for private transport on a small ship—the Maine. A salvaged human vessel. Volunteer crew. Your geth friend, that Lucifer, volunteered to accompany you."

I smile. Of course Lucifer found out about it and insisted on coming. "And I'm going to the Citadel?" Tali nods. "Oh, well. At least I get to see Kolyat."

This giving in is, of course, entirely for show. I have no intentions of going to the Citadel, but I'll figure the rest of it besides 'Not the Citadel' later.

Tali kisses my forehead. "Just until this thing with Garrus's past is resolved, Ani'Zorah vas Maine."

I nod. "Yeah, whatever. Say hi to my mom for me if you go to the memorial."

Tali escorts me to the shuttle, which escorts me to the ship, and I only get privacy when I'm in my quarters. I boot up an extranet connection and send twenty thousand credits to Theresa with a message: _Being sent away. Won't come around again._

Seconds later I get my reply: _Gonna miss you, babe. Nobody does me quite like you do. Was going to leave for Omega, anyways. Only stuck around for your body._

I smile at those words, and then my plan hits me like a train: I have a gun. I have a functioning geth gun, and even though I don't have a thermal clip for it, nobody will know unless I'm forced to shoot. Which I won't be, if Lucifer goes along with it.

And Omega exists.

I don't know much about it, except that my parents have a history with it, and that the great Commander Shepard saved it from Cerberus, earning a favor from the enigmatic Aria T'Loak.

Slowly, I pull the geth weapon from its hiding place, attaching it to my hip. The captain is a friend of Tali's, loyal to her. She'll bring me straight to the Citadel no matter how much I beg, which is why the gun is necessary.

I find Lucifer in the hall, and his optic flashes to the gun, then to my face, asking a question that I answer by grabbing my weapon and tilting my head towards the cockpit and mouthing, _Omega._

He whirrs disapprovingly at me, but I can see his plates shift in a geth smile. "I am ready to assist, Ani." His hand rests on my shoulder for a second, and I squeeze it before shoving into the bridge, drawing my SMG as Lucifer draws a pistol.

"Hello, Captain," I say with a sweet smile. "I'm afraid we're going to have to take a little diversion."


End file.
